 |
 |
|
|
The Department of Art faculty consists of a nearly even number of artists and art historians. These numbers underscore the department's interest in, and commitment to, a balanced study of the visual arts in a liberal arts curriculum. The Allen Memorial Art Museum is an important resource for art students. Courses routinely meet there and students have the opportunity to participate in the Museum's Docent program. Introductory courses—whether in studio or art history—presuppose that the student has no prior experience in art. The three majors offered—art history, studio, and visual arts—are designed to offer individuals a solid preparation for graduate school or a career in art-related fields. Advanced Placement. The Department offers no credit and no exemption for AP work in either Art History or Studio Art. Entry-level course suggested sequence: 1. Art History. Prospective majors are advised to take all required introductory courses and to fulfill the history and language requirements as early as possible in their college careers. 2. Studio Art. It is highly advisable for those intending to major in Studio Art to take one or more "Visual Concepts and Processes" courses as early as possible. First-year students and sophomores considering the major should consult with one of the studio instructors in planning their programs. Majors in the Art Department: The department insists that its programs of major study be deeply integrated with the overall liberal arts education that Oberlin both endorses and offers. In planning their programs of study, students should therefore keep in mind the fact that all three major programs may be completed within the two final years of work toward the BA degree. Requirements for the three majors are as follows: Art History. The department offers Art History courses in four separate groups. Courses with 100 and 200 numbers provide a broad introduction to the field and are open without prerequisite. Courses with 300 and 400 numbers comprise the core of the major in Art History, and are available only to students who have completed the prerequisites or have received the instructor's consent to enroll. A. Courses in the 100-numbered group have been designed to provide broad, synthetic overviews of Art History as an intellectual enterprise. In this group are both large lecture courses and First-Year Seminars. Note: The First-Year Seminars meet none of the requirements for completing the major in Art History and may not be applied towards major credit. No more than one 100-numbered large lecture course may count towards the major. B. 200-numbered courses provide entry into the Art History curriculum by introducing students to the methods and concepts peculiar to the discipline. They place particular emphasis on acquiring the visual skills necessary for the close, analytical scrutiny of works of art. To that end, these courses make intensive use of the collections of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. The 200-numbered courses give access to courses numbered 300 and 400, and are among the major requirements. C. 300-numbered courses provide lectures on the major periods and styles in the art-historical fields taught in the department. D. 400-numbered courses focus on selected problems in art history in a discussion-oriented format. They treat themes, techniques, traditions of representation, or particular critical issues. At the 300- and 400-levels, students pursue advanced topics that provide training in art-historical research and writing. Some majors complete their work in the department in the year-long Honors (500-numbered). Major in Art History. This major requires at least 30 credits in the Art Department. These credits must include a minimum of 24 credits in Art History and three credits in Studio Art. A. Major requirements within the department are: 1. Six 3-credit courses distributed as follows: a. one 200-level course, b. three 300-level courses, and c. two 400–level courses. 2. At least one and no more than two 3-credit courses in Studio Art 3. Stipulations: a. At least one Art History course must focus on non-western art. b. Of the six required courses, four must be taught by different instructors in the department. c. No more than 6 hours on the 100- and 200-level may count toward the major. B. Major requirements outside the department are: 1. Two 3-credit History courses in two different periods or cultures (may be courses cross-listed with History by other departments, such as Classics, African American Studies, or East Asian Studies). 2. A demonstrated ability to read a foreign language at the level of competence equal to two semesters of introductory language study at Oberlin. Students may meet this requirement in a number of ways, including but not limited to:(1) completing a two-semester introductory language course at Oberlin; (2) placing above the first-year level on a placement test administered by one of the language departments; or (3) transferring the equivalent of an Oberlin introductory language course taken elsewhere. For students who are considering graduate work in Art History, the department strongly recommends advanced language courses. In general, within the first year of graduate study in any field of Western art, students are expected to demonstrate reading competency in French and German; for East Asian Art students will need a working knowledge of Japanese and/or Chinese. Depending on the area of specialization, other languages may also be necessary, e.g. Greek, Latin, or Italian. C. A grade of D may not be counted toward the art history major. Transfer of Credit to the Art History Major. A maximum of 12 credits may be transferred to the Art History major for work completed at other institutions. The department grants transfer credit from other accredited institutions of higher education only. Note: Students who plan to transfer credit for courses taken away from Oberlin must obtain the department's approval of the course of study well in advance of their departure. Advanced Placement. A grade of 5 on the AP exam in Art History may be transferred as three general credits to the Oberlin transcript. However, the department offers no major credit, and no exemption from major requirements, for AP work in Art History. Minor in Art History. Students with 15 or more credits in Art History may graduate with a minor in Art History entered on their transcripts. No more than three credits may be transferred for the minor in Art History; departmental approval is required for such transfers (see section on Major or Minor Credit for off-campus study). Note: Students are responsible for notifying the Office of the Registrar if they wish to have the minor in Art History entered on their transcripts. Major in Studio Art. No fewer than 30 hours. A Studio Art major must have taken at least one course with at least four different studio instructors before enrolling in the Senior Studio and Thesis. Required courses are: a. Four "Visual Concepts and Processes" courses (Senior Studio and Thesis may substitute for one of the four required "Visual Concepts and Processes" courses and, under special circumstances, a problems level course may substitute for one "Visual Concepts and Processes" course). Vis/Pro courses may be repeated for credit if taken with a different instructor. b. Two "Problems in: (Discipline) or (Title)" courses (These courses may be repeated one time only for credit with the consent of the instructor). c. Two courses in Art History, one of which must be in 19th- or 20th-century Art, and one in an earlier field or Approaches to Western Art. Only courses with a grade of C–/P/CR or better may be counted toward the Studio Art major. Major in Visual Art. This major is offered within the Studio Division of the Art Department. It allows individual students greater flexibility in pursuing an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the visual arts. This major permits students to study art within a particular social or historical context — urban or environmental studies, critical theory, museum studies, or art conservation. In addition, this major can serve students wishing to pursue projects in the creative arts that may combine for example creative writing, theater, dance, music, performance art, or architectural design. It may also be designed to accommodate students who wish to study more wide-ranging topics such as environmental aspects of art and/or architecture, art in the context of another discipline such as psychology, sociology, philosophy, critical or cultural studies, art and the law, arts management, multi-media work in computer science, music, or even such disciplines as geology. Requirements of the Visual Art Major: The Visual Arts major consists of 36 hours. Students should be aware that 12 of the required 36 hours make up the Concentration for the Visual Arts Major. Students should therefore consult with an additional advisor in the appropriate department or program offering the coursework for this concentration. Students interested in this major must consult with members of the Studio Art division in the Art Department for further information. A Visual Arts major must be grounded in Studio Art coursework. Twenty-four hours must be within the Studio division of the Art Department. Of those 24 hours, students are required to take 9 hours of the Visual Concepts and Processes level courses, 3 hours of Problems In: (Discipline), and three hours of Art History. The remaining nine credits may be chosen by the student in consultation with her/his Studio Art advisor. Students are required to work with an advisor in the Studio division of the Art Department to create a written proposal that explains the rationale for this major, namely how the two disciplines (studio art and the chosen concentration) are closely interwoven. A one-page statement is sufficient. This proposal must be approved by your studio art advisor and signed by the department chair before it can be formally declared with the Office of the Registrar. A copy of this proposal remains with your advisor and on file in the Art Department office. Visual Arts majors are strongly urged to apply for the Senior Studio and Thesis (SST) course. Admittance to SST, a one-year production/seminar course, is by portfolio only. Applications are available in the Art Department office. In order to adequately prepare for admittance to SST students must consult their Art Department advisor in the first semester of their junior year. Because this major requires more advanced planning than the standard Studio Art major, it is required that it be declared at the beginning of the junior year. Any revisions to the proposed Visual Arts major must be re-submitted to the student's Studio Art advisor for approval. The Concentration in the Visual Arts Major: As noted above, the Visual Arts major requires students to take 12 hours of study in an area outside of the Art Department and include this as part of their major. Students must be clear in their proposal as to why these particular courses are relevant to their Visual Arts major. This is done in consultation with an advisor in the Studio Art division of the Art Department. Only courses with a grade of C–/P/CR or better may be counted toward the Visual Arts major. Transfer of Credit/Major Credit for Off-Campus Study. The Art Department's preliminary approval must be obtained before beginning work away from Oberlin if this work is to be counted as credit for the major. Students must receive tentative prior approval from the Chair of the Art Department before leaving campus. On return, students must supply both an official transcript and evidence of the nature of the work done. Such requests, as well as those of transfer students, will be handled on an individual basis. The department is not obliged to give credit for work that fails to fit the general patterns of the Oberlin curriculum or that fails to come up to Oberlin's standards, no matter how valuable a student feels the experience has been, or how much time and effort has been expended. Art History: No more than 12 credits may be transferred to an Art History major, unless the courses were taken in an Oberlin-affiliated program. Students should submit transcripts, syllabi, class notes, term papers, and examinations in order to obtain final approval for credit. Studio Art: No more than six credits may be transferred to a Studio Art major. Students should submit transcripts and Syllabi to their advisors to obtain major credit for work completed at other accredited institutions. Visual Arts: No more than six credits of studio art may transfer toward this major. Minor in Art History or Studio Art. Students with 15 or more credits in Art History may graduate with a minor in Art History entered on their transcripts. Students with 15 or more credits in Studio Art may graduate with a minor in Studio Art entered on their transcripts. These Studio Art courses must be taken in at least three fields with three instructors. There is no minor in Visual Arts. Transfer of credit. No more than three credits may be transferred for the minor in Art History; departmental approval is required for such transfers (see the section "Transfer of Credit/Major Credit for Off-Campus Study" above). No credit may be transferred to the minor in Studio Art. Note: Students are responsible for notifying the Office of the Registrar if they wish to have the minor either in Art History or Studio Art entered on their transcripts. Honors Program. Admission to the Honors Program is at the discretion of the department. Projects generally begin in one of two ways. An instructor may approach a student in his or her junior year and indicate a willingness to work with that student towards Honors. Alternatively, before spring break of the junior year, a student may broach the topic with his or her academic advisor, following which he or she may then approach a specific instructor whose interests coincide with the student's. If the instructor agrees, the student collaborates with the instructor to develop a project proposal. This proposal must be submitted to the Art Department faculty by the instructor who will sponsor the Honors project well in advance of the end of the spring semester of the junior year. Final credit will depend upon effective presentation of the results of such studies. (Studio Art majors admitted to Senior Studio and Thesis are regarded as taking Honors in studio art.) In Studio Art, the utmost flexibility and maximum independence is stressed in the programs of students invited to do Honors work. In Art History, Honors students are required to take ARTS 401 Research Methods and Resources in the Visual Art. GLCA Arts Program in New York. The program consists of a semester of work, normally in the junior year, combining an internship in an artist's studio, or one of a variety of other art-connected organizations and agencies, with a seminar in the arts of the city, and an independent study. Successful completion earns 15 hours of credit toward graduation; these credits cannot count as major credit toward any of the departmental majors. Architecture. Oberlin students wishing to study architecture, urban planning, or historic preservation during their junior year may apply to the Urban Center in Philadelphia or to the Syracuse Program in Florence, which has a specialization in architectural design. Students have also studied in the Copenhagen Program, a design-intensive program in architecture. For information or applications, see the architecture advisor in the Art Department. Winter Term. Various Winter Term projects, including off-campus projects such as gallery or museum internships or studio assistantships with artists, and on-campus ones such as supervised individual or group research projects, are typically sponsored by members of the Art Department. Preparation for Further Professional Study. Students interested in preparing for graduate studies in Studio Art, Museum Studies, and Art Conservation should consider the following programs of study: 1. Studio Art. It is suggested that studio art majors who wish to prepare for graduate study leading to the MFA degree take as many studio courses as allowed and it is strongly recommended that they apply for Senior Studio and Thesis. Many of the candidates competing for the limited number of placements in graduate schools will have received the BFA (studio) degree (not offered at Oberlin) and have earned a substantially higher number of studio credits than those required for the studio major at Oberlin. 2. Museum Studies. Students wishing to pursue a museum career are advised to consult with the curatorial staff of the Allen Memorial Art Museum at their earliest convenience. There are both research and teaching opportunities as curatorial interns and docents available to interested and qualified students. Either an Art History or a Visual Arts major would provide suitable pre-graduate school preparation for this field. Knowledge of a relevant foreign language (French, German, Chinese, Japanese) is essential for museum curatorial work and helpful preparation for other areas of the museum profession, such as administration or education. 3. Conservation of Art. It is suggested that students who wish to prepare for graduate study in Art Conservation fulfill the requirements for the BA with a major in either Art History, Visual Arts, or Studio Art. Most schools of conservation require between 18 to 21 hours of art history, between 8 and 15 hours of studio, and a portfolio. Additionally, most schools require: a reading knowledge of German, French or Italian, two classes in organic chemistry with labs, and an additional one or two science courses with labs. The following may also be useful: CHEM 309 Physical Chemistry, GEOL 201 Mineralogy, PHYS 103-104 or PHYS 110, 111. For further information, consult with Mr. Inglis. 4. Classical Archeology. Students interested in classical archeology as a profession should note the availability of a concentration in classical archeology within the Archeological Studies major. For further information, see the separate listing under Archeological Studies above, or consult Ms. Kane in the Art Department.
Introductory Courses for a General Audience FYSP 123. Representation and Reality in Contemporary Culture 4 hours, 4HU, WR Second Semester. For description, please see "First-Year Seminar Program" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Mathews 200. Approaches to Western Art 3 hours, 3HU First and Second Semester. This course introduces students to the materials and methods of art history. Though arranged chronologically, the class is not a survey. Instead, we address central art historical topics such as technique, style, iconography, the status of the artist and art's relationship with its original context. This course makes integral use of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Kane, Mr. Inglis, Ms. Mathews 250. Approaches to Chinese Art 3 hours, 3HU, CD First Semester. This survey of China focuses on artistic production from three perspectives: the artisan, artist, and art market. We will survey major art and architecture across a broad geographic and temporal frame, but focus on smaller artistic contexts, e.g. temples, tombs, imperial courts and literati circles. We will consider issues of patronage, mass production, and individual expression on the changing form and circulation of both painted and sculpted images. Identical to EAST 141. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Cheng 251. Approaches to Japanese Art 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. This survey of Japan will highlight a range of artistic media from ancient times to the modern day. We will examine the art and architecture of religious and secular traditions, with an emphasis on painted traditions (narrative handscrolls, prints, and screens). Primary themes will include the contexts of artistic production (as informed by gender or socio-political circumstances), the spatial or social networks of their use, cultural exchange with China, and tensions between court-sponsored traditions and other artistic practices. Identical to EAST 142. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Cheng
Courses require one 200-level course or an equivalent as a prerequisite. 324. Time Travelers: the Story of Mediterranean Archeology 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. The discipline of archaeology fosters our dialogue with the past and its interpretation. This course will trace the development of Mediterranean archaeology through the modern European discovery of the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Western Asia. The historiography of this discipline and the scholarly, political, and cultural issues surrounding archaeological investigation will also be explored. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Kane 326. The Technology of Greek and Roman Architecture 4 hours, 4HU, QPh Second Semester. The buildings of the Greeks and Romans have a justifiable place in the history of western architecture. Beyond consideration of their historical significance, this course will investigate how they were actually built and the corresponding social and economic consequences of their construction. A series of design projects and calculations will offer insights on how ancient architects might have worked. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Kane 328. Modern Chinese Art 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. An examination of artistic trends from the fall of dynastic China in 1911 to the 1990s, this course will highlight artists' attempts to "modernize" against the backdrop of Civil War, the rise of the Communist Party, and following the death of Mao. Topics will include: early art societies, academies and curriculum, woodcuts, Socialist Realist painting, propaganda posters, and such post-Mao movements as Scar art, the Stars, and '90s experimental art. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Cheng 335. Saints and Relics in Medieval and Renaissance Art 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. This course studies the role art played in the Christian cult of the saints during the Middle Ages. We begin in the fourth century, when Christianity first assumes a broad public face, and finish around 1550, in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. We will study both thematic issues—the importance of relics, the promotion of pilgrimage, etc.—and the iconography of specific saints—among them Thomas Becket, Francis of Assisi, and King Louis IX. We will seek to understand the impact of the cult of the saints on medieval art, and the impact of medieval art on the cult of the saints. Enrollment Limit: 40. Mr. Inglis 336. Romanesque and Gothic Art 3 hours, 3HU First Semester. A study of European art from c. 1000 to c. 1300, with special emphasis on the architecture and decoration of churches. Topics to be considered include: pilgrimage, the development of Gothic architecture, and the various audiences addressed by art. The meaning of style will be a central theoretical concern. Enrollment Limit: 40. Mr. Inglis 355. The Art of Japanese Prints 3 hours, 3HU First Semester. This course will explore one of Japan's most prominent mediums, the woodblock print. Using the vast collection in the Allen Memorial Museum to highlight major iconographic trends, topics will include: actors and courtesans, representations of traditional narratives, views of Edo and the Stations of the Tokai-do, architectural representations and perspective scenes, and meisho, among others. The end of each topic section will conclude with a longer class session in the AMAM, from which students will conduct in-depth research. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Cheng 367. Art Since 1960 3 hours, 3HU, WR First Semester. A revisionist examination of the major trends, primarily in American art, from 1960 to the present. Art historical and critical approaches will be used to survey the art and to deal with issues confronting and confronted by the contemporary artist. The course will also highlight issues of diversity and gender in art. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Mathews
401. Research Methods and Resources in the Visual Arts 1 hour, 1HU First Semester. First Module. Examination of visual arts research and bibliography. Analysis of specific titles, categories of publications, electronic resources will be done within context of actual research practices and specific information needs. Basic steps of research process, database structure and searching, search engines, critical analysis of information, researching artists and artworks will be discussed. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Prior 410. Seminar: From Dürer to Dine: Topics in the History of Western Printmaking 2 hours, 2HU First Semester. Second Module. This survey will consider topics in the history of Western printmaking from 1500 to the present. The focus is on the work of artists who have invented something new to say in print: Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya, among them. Class meetings and writing assignments will largely be organized around the study of original objects in the print room at the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Wiles 413. Archeological Field Course 4 hours, 4HU, CD Summer. Identical to ACHS 200. For description, please see "Archeological Studies" in this catalog. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 6. Ms. Kane 422. Seminar: The History of Art History 3 hours, 3HU First Semester. A course on art historical practice from antiquity to the present. We will read early art historical works by such authors as Pliny, Vasari and van Mander; discuss the professionalization of the discipline in the 19th century; and engage contemporary debates over methodology. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Mr. Inglis 442. Themes in European Landscape Painting, 1600-1900 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. Since its emergence as an independent genre in the 16th century, landscape painting has taken on many forms and perspectives. This seminar examines the various themes and motifs associated with the depiction of the natural landscape in European art from the early 17th century to the end of the 19th century. All of the major schools of painting will be considered, with particular focus on the northern countries and France. Works of art (paintings and drawings) in the Allen Memorial Art Museum will feature in the discussions and assignments. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12. Mr. Borys 451. Death and Dying in East Asian Art 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. The concept of death and one's post-mortem fate has traditionally elicited an array of human responses, often an amalgam of fear and fascination. This seminar considers art and practices inspired by these concerns: preparations for graves, ritual treatment/transformation of the body, representations of otherworldly realms, and modern modes of commemoration. We consider themes of the soul, Buddhist judgment and rebirth, ritual sacrifice, and suicide to understand how preparations for or representations of death assuage fears of death. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Cheng 461. Modern Seminar: The Femme Fatale and Other Forms of Female Identity in 20th-Century Film 3 hours, 3HU, CD, WR First Semester. A feminist look at female roles in various 20th-century (mostly) Hollywood films from Imitation of Life to Fatal Attraction. The reading for the seminar will include writings ranging from discourse theory to Lacanian and French feminist psychoanalytic theory, film theory and feminist art history. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Mathews 599. Honors 3-4 hours, 3-4HU For Honors candidates only under the supervision of one or more members of the staff. Consent of instructor and of the co-chair for Art History required. 995. Private Reading 1-3 hours, 1-3HU Consent of instructor required.
The aim of all studio courses is to enhance students' awareness of and sensitivity to the visual arts through engaging in the actual intellectual and technical processes by which works of art come into being. Students learn to perceive the world in visual terms and to conceptualize their perceptions through their own work. They also become familiar with selected techniques of art-making and with examples of those techniques by significant artists through the study of the art both past and present. Students planning to complete their studies with the Bachelor's degree in art should recognize that the fine arts curriculum at Oberlin is designed primarily as an integral part of the liberal arts program of the College, and not as specialized technical training. Studying art at Oberlin does provide a solid foundation for students who wish to proceed into formal professional training at the graduate level or to continue their development as artists on their own. The purchase of textbooks is not usually required for studio courses. It is necessary for each student to purchase expendable supplies as required and/or to pay a fee for expendable materials supplied by the department. Students should realize that studio art practices can often be quite expensive. The size and facilities of the department are limited. Therefore, it is impossible to offer work in every field of student interest; however, credit can be arranged for off-campus study in areas not available at Oberlin. A program of study must have the prior approval of the department. See introduction: Transfer of Credit/Major Credit for Off-Campus Study. Students absent from the first studio session in any course will be dropped from the enrollment list. Visual Concepts and Process Courses Read the following course descriptions carefully. The courses listed below are designed to offer students an introduction to art by encountering a diverse range of concepts, attitudes, and approaches through the direct "hands-on" procedure of exploring a wide variety of art media and processes. General focus will be upon the disciplines specified in the course title suffix, but coverage will not be limited to the conventional assumptions about these disciplines. These courses may be repeated if taken with a different instructor. 040. Visual Concepts and Processes: Drawing 3 hours, 3HU First and Second Semester. Course will initiate practice and appreciation of graphic expression, with an emphasis on developing a conceptual understanding of traditional and contemporary pictorial concerns beginning with traditional observation drawing to sharpen perceptual awareness. Diagrammatic line and principles of perspective will be presented as spatial and compositional concepts. Assignments: ability to graphically locate objects on a ground plane; use of line, value, shape, texture as a descriptive design vocabulary; the human figure as dynamic form; engaging representation and abstraction as responsive narrative. Enrollment Limit: 20. Staff 041. Visual Concepts and Processes: Art and the Environment 3 hours, 3HU First Semester. Students will be introduced to a number of artists whose ideas and work are influenced by their interest and concern for the environment. We will work in both two and three dimensions using found, recycled, and borrowed materials. An introduction to basic building techniques and tools will assist students in their ability to express their ideas. Readings, research, and critiques are a required part of the course. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Macias 043. Visual Concepts and Processes: Mixed Media Drawing/Painting 3 hours, 3HU First Semester. This course will facilitate exploration of materials in both traditional and experimental systems. Emphasis will be placed on large-scale drawings, but not limited to this venue. Increased technical proficiency with a variety of media and increased understanding of each student's individual expression will serve as two basic goals for the course. Students will develop both critical thinking and technical drawing skills, and will be given opportunities to explore collage, contemporary concepts, paint, and model building. Enrollment Limit: 18. Ms. Umbenhour 045. Visual Concepts and Processes: Introduction to Digital Photography 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. This class will introduce students to digital photography techniques and concepts. Topics will cover PhotoShop, different methods of input and output. Assignments are conceptually driven and thematically will address the changing nature of truth in our contemporary culture. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12. Staff 047. Visual Concepts and Processes: Painting 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. This course will examine the medium of paint as a contemporary venue. While the course is designed to enhance the student's understanding of perceptual painting and methods, the intent is to integrate social and cultural concerns and processes into the discourse of painting. We will facilitate these issues through four (painting, installation, collage, and performance based) projects. Readings, critiques, and one oral presentation required. Note: One semester of drawing required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Umbenhour 048. Visual Concepts and Processes: What's Natural Isn't Real 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. This is a studio course where students are introduced to painting in acrylics or oils from the landscape. The aim of the course is to infuse the practice of perceptual painting with an understanding of cultural and artistic conventions within which the practice exists. To establish this context the time spent painting in the studio will be supplemented by several trips to the Allen Art Museum, and some reading. The class will be focused on the practice of painting and drawing learning both how the art we make influences what we see and how what we see influences the art we make. Enrollment Limit: 12. Ms. Schuster 049. Visual Concepts and Processes: Sculpture 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. Referencing your own body as it traverses daily through time and space, students will explore the basics of three-dimensional space. Using paper, cardboard, plaster, wood and found objects in addition to form, texture, sound, scale, and proportion, students will complete three major projects. Weekly homework assignments will expand upon classroom projects. Although craft and technique are important, they are not a driving force. Required forms of participation also include critiques, weekly discussions, and reading assignments. A sketchbook will be required. Students should expect to spend 12 hours per week outside of class to meet the minimum requirements. Enrollment Limit: 18. Mr. Coleman 052. Visual Concepts and Processes: Photography 3 hours, 3HU First and Second Semester. This is an introductory course to B&W photography. Studio assignments are designed to contextualize photography in terms of its history, its relationships to the other art media, and its cultural implications. Besides studio assignments and group critiques there also will be slide lectures, technical demonstrations, and reading and writing assignments. Enrollment Limit: 12. Mr. Nguyen-Duy, Staff 053. Visual Concepts and Processes: Silkscreen 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. This course is designed to introduce all silkscreen processes plus their interaction with photography and other media. Assignments are structured to expand the understanding of art through the exploration of relevant personal concerns, whether they are driven by gender, political, moral, spiritual, philosophical or conceptual issues. Group critiques, slide lectures, and labs are essential ingredients of the course. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 14. Mr. Pearson 054. Visual Concepts and Processes: Photography: Color Photography 3 hours, 3HU First Semester. This is an intermediate class dealing with color photography and the staged narrative. It is assumed that students who are registered for the class are already familiar with black and white darkroom practices. During the course of the semester students will be introduced to a variety of contemporary topics via projects, lectures, reading and writing assignments. Enrollment Limit: 10. Mr. Nguyen-Duy 056. Something From Something 3 hours, 3HU, CD First Semester. Identical to AAST 074. For description, please see "African American Studies" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 12. Mr. Coleman 059. Visual Concepts and Processes: Digital Video 3 hours, 3HU First and Second Semester. This is an introductory "hands-on" technical course in digital video production and editing. This course is designed to provide an overview of the history and practice of time-based media. The goal is to outline the varied terrain of the art of the moving image and to examine the vocabulary of constructing sequences, and editing, otherwise known as "sculpting in time." Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Brown-Orso
Material covered in these courses will correspond generally with the boundaries as specified in the course descriptions listed below. The instructors in each course will pay special attention to the individual requirements of each student. Courses in this sequence may be elected more than once. These courses may be taken only by consent of the instructor. 060. Problems in: Drawing 3 hours, 3HU First and Second Semester. This course is intent on developing skills and methodologies introduced in Drawing 040. Assignments will engage postmodern strategies relevant to graphic representation. Emphasis will be placed on formal concerns of subject, image, material, and technique. Projects will explore the nature of figuration and the use of figure in a narrative pictorial context. Other projects will research symbolism in painting and the sequential development of abstraction as an expressive method and metaphoric iconography. Prerequisite: Completion of ARTS 040. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Umbenhour, Staff 062. Problems in: Intermedia/Drawing, The Nature of the Abstract 4 hours, 4HU Second Semester. What is Abstract Art? How did it come into being? Does it have content? Is it founded in concrete ideas? Is it divorced from social accountability? Is it entropic? What does it communicate or express? These are a sample of the questions to be raised and addressed in this class. They will be addressed through a series of controlled drawing assignments designed to develop both critical thinking and technical drawing skills. Note: Students are strongly advised not to register for any other studio courses when taking this course. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12. Mr. Pearson 065. Problems in: Painting, An Introduction to Figure Painting 3 hours, 3HU First Semester. The course will focus on painting from a live model using oil paints. We will begin with self-portraiture and portraiture and then will begin to explore the genre of the male and female nude. Prerequisite: Students must have completed one college level course in painting and drawing before being eligible for this course. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 18. Ms. Schuster 067. Problems in: Moving Image 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. This course will introduce various forms of advanced digital video production and editing techniques. Some of these techniques will include stop-motion animation, lighting, sound design, multiple projection and DVD mastering. Prerequisite: ARTS 059 Visual Concepts and Processes: Digital Video. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Brown-Orso 069. Problems in: Re-imagining the Book 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. This course will explore and expand upon the notion of the book as both an object and a text. Using narrative and non-narrative techniques in relation to concept, content, image, and form, students will design and construct a series of books. We will make frequent trips to view the artist's book collection in the Clarence Ward Art Library in Oberlin. Materials and techniques such as basic use of tools, collage, design, learned and invented bindings, will be covered. This class will focus on inventive approaches to the book NOT traditional bookmaking or binding. Readings, sketchbook, discussion and critique are required forms of participation. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Macias 070. Problems in: Painting, Narrative and the Contemporary Figure 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. Students must have completed one course in drawing and painting, and have had some experience working with oil paint and from a live model before this course. You will work from live models and from your imaginations. We will look at the way the human figure is used by a number of contemporary artists and study the form and content that drive contemporary figure painting. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 10. Ms. Schuster 072. Blues Aesthetic: Continuity and Transformation 3 hours, 3HU, CD Second Semester. Identical to AAST 072. For description, please see "African American Studies" in this catalog. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12. Mr. Coleman 074. Problems in: Painting, Mixed Media 3 hours, 3HU Second Semester. An extension of ARTS 043 Visual Concepts and Processes: Mixed Media Drawing and Painting. Projects are research based and interdisciplinary in nature. As students explore techniques of painting, photography, mono printing, and collage, they will investigate how visual form and structure reinforce concept and intent. Prerequisite: ARTS 043. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Umbenhour 092. Intermedia Seminar: Digital and Tactile 3 hours, 3HU First Semester. The goal of this course is to explore ways to bridge digital techniques with physical art-making processes. Students will be creating projects that integrate digital media techniques such as video, digital still photography, scanning, printing and projection with traditional materials such as painting, paper, sculpture and more. The course will introduce students to some basic digital processes and will explore a variety of means for outputting imagery from the computer and integrating them with tactile media. Prerequisite: Completion of one Visual Concepts and Processes course. Consent of both instructors required. Enrollment Limit: 20. Ms. Brown-Orso, Ms. Schuster
095. Senior Studio and Thesis 6 hours, 6HU First and Second Semester. A year-long team-taught studio course for highly self-motivated students. Taught by two different faculty each semester. Participants will work toward a critical articulation of their work and process, through the development of a visual thesis that may include painting, digital media, installation, sculpture, photography, performance or silkscreen or any combination thereof. Students will produce a thesis exhibition, artist's statement, and a professional portfolio by the end of the second semester. It is strongly suggested that students complete all winter terms prior to their senior year, since students will be required to continue working toward their final exhibition during this time. Note: Admission by portfolio review. Enrollment Limit: 12. Ms. Brown-Orso, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Macias, Ms. Schuster |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
